I’ve had the chance to visit Budapest twice. The first time was in the winter in February, during winter, when I traveled there with my husband. The weather was extremely cold, around -13°C, which made exploring the city a bit challenging, but despite the freezing temperatures, I still enjoyed the experience and knew I’d want to come back.
The second visit was in mid-October, this time with my mom, and it felt like a completely different city. The weather was mostly perfect for walking and sightseeing, with just one slightly rainy day that didn’t stop us from exploring. We spent a long weekend in Budapest, from Thursday night until Monday morning, and truly got to enjoy the city at a much more relaxed pace. 
Food tour or market and stroll around town
We chose to do a food tour of nearly 5 hours. The tour was through the Taste Hungary company and included an extensive tour of the great market with three stops for tastings, then a tour of town with stops for tasting special chocolates and a Hungarian lunch, lucrative café with coffee and cakes and to top it all off a visit to a wine cellar with wine and cheese tastings. It was a delicious and most interesting tour. Link to extended post about our experience on the food tour.
This company offers several different tours.
If you don’t want to do this tour, I recommend visiting the great market (Map) anyway and trying some food there. Don’t miss the basement floor with the pickles.
Additionally, you can do a free tour of town (Tip based), the last time we had a free tour of the Jewish quarter which was great, so you can do that or a tour among the main landmarks of Budapest. The company we went on the free tour through is called Original Budapest tours. 
Margaret island
Margaret island is a small island in the center of the Danube. It’s a lovely place to visit on foot or rent a bike or pedal car there and explore the area. There’s a tiny zoo, a rose garden, walking and running tracks and a musical fountain with lights.
You can reach the island by light rail number 4 or 6 and bus number 26. You can also take a cab to the bridge and walk 200 meters on foot to the island pass. Map 
Cable car
One of the things I like doing on trips is finding good vantage points to take pictures of the city from above. When I saw Budapest had a cable car, I decided it was a good idea getting there. We took a cab to the cable car area. There was a rather long line, but then we saw there were salespeople who sold tickets outside the line (Blue shirted salespeople).
The advantage to that is avoiding the long line for buying a ticket for the same price (Like we did) and going in through the entrance on the right without waiting. We bought the two-way ticket but that was a mistake. The climb down is simple and only takes a few minutes. I recommend buying a one-way ticket and walking back down (Unless that would be difficult for you). The climb is really short and honestly this is one of the shortest cable cars I’ve been on, but it’s still quite nice. At the top is a café you can sit down for a drink at, and you can walk around the area and enjoy a gorgeous view of the city. Map. 
Farmer’s market
Every Sunday there’s a cute farmer’s market at Szimpla kert. Besides, it’s a bar worth visiting at night as it has a great atmosphere. Anyway, at the market you’ll find many delicious things like cheeses, hams, jams, spreads and more. I bought a cheese I took home with me and some dried apples and jam. On a pleasant day you can buy some tasty stuff and go have a picnic in the Heroes square park.
We also had a coffee and pastry break there. Map 
Visiting the Jewish quarter
Szimpla kert is in the Jewish quarter, so after the market you can walk around the quarter and go visit the large Synagogue. You may also go on a free (Tip based) tour. We did it the last time we were here, and it was great. The company through which we took the tour is called Original Budapest tours. 
Heroes square
The whole area of the square is packed with things to do: There’s a beautiful park, a zoo, an arts museum and a stunning castle. In the winter there’s ice skating there. Map. 
Thai massage
After the walking and shopping, a Thai massage can surely be great. I really like the traditional Thai massages without the oil, but there are other types you can have. The place I went to is called De Lanna Thai Massage. A traditional Thai massage costs 7900 forint an hour. Map Anna café
A famous café on Vaci street. It has two locations on the street, one by the great market and the other in the clothes shops area. We decided to grab something small to eat at the one by the stores. It’s famous for its cakes, but honestly, we just had chicken salad and a toast with goat cheese and cranberry jam. We also ordered regular lemonade and lemonade with strawberry and basil. It was a nice, light meal after a long period of exhausting shopping ? Map 
Shopping
Budapest is a great destination for shopping at reasonable prices and with a lot of variety. We personally went to Vaci street (A 25-minute walk from the hotel). It’s Budapest’s famous street, with many brand stores like Zara, Mango, Bershka and more. Shoe stores, H&M, C&A and more.
We spent hours there and bought a bunch of stuff. Map. 
Recommended restaurants in Budapest
Tapas restaurant
Since we were full from the food tour, we decided to have a light dinner. That same night I had received a recommendation from my friend, Hadas, who recommended Pata Negra, a Spanish tapas restaurant – Just in time for us.
We tried to book a table, but the restaurant was already filled, so we decided to try our luck and go anyway. As it happens, when we arrived there were two spots on the bar available. As is proper for a Spanish restaurant we started the night with a Sangria. We ordered four vegan tapas for a start: Baguette slices with tomato sauce, grilled mushrooms with garlic, baked vegetables and spinach with chickpeas. The vegetables were a hit and to be honest, we finished our dishes quite quickly.
We then ordered a cod fish dish and I ordered a calamari dish as well, while my mom had chicken skewers. Overall, a tapas meal is one of the best meals possible. You can try many things and not have it be too heavy. We ended the meal with tea and a cheesecake.
This restaurant is very popular, and people came and signed on to the waiting list all the time. I recommend booking at least a day in advance. Map 
Cuban restaurant
One dinner, we decided to go to a restaurant by our hotel Bo33 hotel.(A 10-minute walk). We looked for something with a jovial atmosphere where you can also sit down for a meal and enjoy a beverage. I saw recommendations for La Bodeguita del Medio and we decided to try it.
While it’s a touristic restaurant, it’s still a good option. We arrived at the restaurant at 20:00 (The bad reviews about the restaurant talk about their service, but since we were relatively early, and it wasn’t crowded yet, service was actually quite good).
For starters we ordered the couples plate which included spiced chicken wings, corn, quesadillas with cheese, guacamole and yoghurt. We liked this dish a lot and in retrospect, we should have ordered another one or a different starter rather than a main course. The mains were alright, but felt too heavy for me, I ordered a dish of meat with rice and my mom ordered a vegetarian hamburger.
For drinks we had beer and wine.
There was a really good band playing which made for a very fun atmosphere and the place itself is also very nice, with a lot of outside sitting space. Map 
Thai restaurant or food stalls by Szimpla kert
After the Thai massage I decided I’d like so Thai food, as well, and so we chose to go to a restaurant near the hotel. A simple restaurant with good Thai food, Kao Niaw Ping Kai Restaurant. Map.
If you’re not into Thai food, you can also go back to the Szimpla kert area. By the bar you’ll find an area full of food stalls where you can pick between many different kinds of food. Map. 
Hungarian lunch
Pater Bonifac Kisvendegio is a nice Hungarian restaurant for those looking for good Hungarian food in a local atmosphere. Map 
Where did we stay in Budapest?
We decided to pamper ourselves with a 4-star, boutique hotel, Bo33 hotel. The hotel is in a good location, it isn’t on Vaci street (25 minutes away by foot) but I like this area more, as it isn’t as touristic and there are many restaurants and bars in its vicinity…
The hotel is high quality, with a bar and comfortable sofas in the lobby. The room was spacious, with two single beds (According to my request) and a small balcony overlooking the hotel yard.
On the hotel’s top floor is a spa with a free jacuzzi and reclining chairs on a balcony with a view of the city.
When we arrived we were given a coupon for a free drink at the hotel bar (Which we used on the last day of the trip). Breakfast was an excellent buffet with gourmet cheeses, hams, smoked salmon, vegetables, fruits, granola, pastries, breads and more. Service was amazing. The staff were super nice and helped with every request. Additionally, what I liked about the hotel is how much attention was given to detail. For example, the room had a coffee machine, a USB charger, robes and bath slippers, a black towel to wipe makeup off and more. 
Overall, Budapest is a city that truly offers something for everyone. From rich history and beautiful architecture to great food, lively markets, relaxing spas and excellent shopping, it’s a destination that’s easy to fall in love with in any season. Whether you’re visiting for a long weekend or a longer stay, traveling as a couple, with family, or even solo, Budapest manages to combine culture, fun and relaxation in a very approachable way. After visiting it in both winter and autumn, I can confidently say it’s a city worth returning to again and again – each time discovering it from a slightly different angle.
I hope my post was helpful. If so, I would really appreciate it if you leave a comment here, and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or reach out to me on the blog’s social media: Facebook and Instagram.
